At the stroke of 12 (noon, that is), a cackling witch joined a parade of characters in the Carolina Meadows Lobby, where residents had gathered to view the yearly spectacle.

The Marketing Department led the way, including the wicked witch (Lisa Wynne), Cleopatra (Liz Rossi) and Austin Powers (Phil DeSantis). Resident Services Director Linda Zachary was a convincing Loretta Lynn, and the Finance Department posed as a group of beatniks, complete with a stool, poetry book and snapping fingers for impromptu poetry readings.

Activities Director Kris Snyder – in a wild cotton wig and bunny slippers — was the grumpy cartoon character Maxine, while Health Center Administrator Heidi O’Neal was an “iron chef” (with an apron and carrying an iron). Four Social Work Department members wore black outfits emblazoned with the letter “P” and sported black eyes; they were “black-eyed peas,” of course.

Staffers took their unruly parade through the main Dining Room along with dining rooms in the Health Center and the Fairways assisted living, as appreciative onlookers cheered and clapped.

In the Lobby, residents and staff also enjoyed a display of artfully carved pumpkins, the product of the annual carving contest. A party in the Auditorium complete with games and refreshments topped off the day’s festivities.

Resident Public Relations Committee member Pat Ballard writes about the recent Halloween celebration